Tenn. police purchase body cameras for bike cops

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. — Police officers here soon will have a new tool: body cameras. The City Commission has approved the purchase of eight body cameras for the police department.

"We have video cameras in cars, but not on motorcyles," Police Chief Jack Baldwin told the commission at its meeting last week. "These would be to outfit motorcycle officers with video cameras."

Sold by L-3 Mobile-Vision, the cameras attach to a shirt or lapel. They cost $909.95 each, for a total of $7,279.60. The police department has 11 motorcycles. Mounted video cameras are available for motorbikes, but Baldwin prefers body cameras because they are not tied to vehicles.